Short answer: the ThieAudio Origin. Both are rated 3.3/5 for sound quality (#922 and #965 of 1369 in-ear headphones), and the ThieAudio Origin costs $849 against $2,899 for the Forte Ears Mefisto, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
The case for the Forte Ears Mefisto: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. The tradeoff: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
What the ThieAudio Origin does well: Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat. Watch for: Presence sits about 5.1 dB low with a 5.9 dB dip near 3.9 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the ThieAudio Origin. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $2,050 less than the Forte Ears Mefisto.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Forte Ears $2,899.00 eBay
Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat.
Linsoul $849 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Forte Ears Mefisto | ThieAudio Origin | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,899.00 | $849 |
| Ranked | #965 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones | #922 of 1369 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 65 (median of 19 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.45 dB standard deviation | 2.33 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.63 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.12 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Hybrid |
| Drivers | 7 drivers (dual 7.8mm LCP dynamic drivers + 4 balanced armatures + 1 Aria planar tweeter) | 1 x dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic + 1 x bone conduction |
| Impedance | 5.6 ohms | 9 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB | - |
| Frequency Response | 12Hz - 35kHz | 20Hz - 44kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Forte Ears Mefisto from aden, dchpgall, eliseaudio, sl0the and zerostresslevel; the ThieAudio Origin from aden, audioamigo, bloomaudio, csi-zone, dl, ducbloke, eliseaudio, jaytiss, joycesreview, lown-fi, lumerion, obodio, sl0the, soundignity, superreview, theaudiostore, timmyv, treblewellxtended and vsg, all via squig.link.
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